Presentation graphics software applications are well known in the art. In general, presentation graphics applications allow a user to arrange presentation graphics objects (i.e., text, charts, graphics, etc., hereinafter “objects”) onto a series of pages or presentation slides, edit and rearrange the objects within a page, add and delete pages, reorder pages, and save the resulting presentation in a file. The resulting presentation may be printed or otherwise converted to physical presentation media, such as transparencies or 35 mm slides, for example.
Modern presentation graphics software applications typically provide an alternative to physical presentation media. The alternative involves delivering the presentation directly to a display device attached to a computer system. Such a computer driven presentation, often termed a “slide show” or “screen show,” provides an alternative to delivering a presentation using physical presentation media. As used herein, the terms “computer driven presentation,” slideshow,” and “screenshow” are interchangeable. A computer driven presentation is delivered by a computer system running the presentation graphics application used to create the presentation. Alternatively, presentation graphics applications typically provide a user with the ability to prepare a presentation for delivery by a computer system on which the presentation graphics application is not installed.
Presentation graphics applications supporting a computer driven presentation option typically provide a degree of user control during two operations: presentation creation, and slide show setup. While creating a presentation, a user may assign various properties to presentation graphics objects: these properties are referred to herein as object properties. Some object properties, referred to herein as object presentation properties, involve aspects of how the object is presented during a slide show, such as: whether the object appears when the page first appears or upon the occurrence of some event (i.e., a user input or the passage of a user-specified time period), “animation” effects controlling the way in which the object is introduced during a slide show (i.e., the object may just appear, or it may slide in from the right, down from the top, etc.), sounds associated with the introduction of an object, actions to be taken when an object is “clicked” or “moused over” during a slide show, etc. During slide show setup, a user may select various options controlling aspects of a slide show presentation. For example, user selectable options may include: various visual effects controlling how new pages are introduced, whether new pages are introduced manually or after a specified period of time, whether sounds are associated with the introduction of new pages, the pages to be shown, whether presentation controls are displayed, etc.
Once a user creates a presentation, selects object properties, and selects slide show options, a user saves the presentation in a file. If another version of the presentation is needed, such as for a presentation to a different audience, a user modifies the presentation by changing, rearranging, adding, or deleting objects; changing, rearranging, adding, or deleting pages; modifying object properties and slide show options, etc., then saving the modified presentation in a new file. Thus, if a user wishes to create two presentations containing pages that are substantially similar but differ in some respects (such as differences in the objects appearing on each page), two files are likely needed if both presentations are to be retained with all content, properties, and settings intact.
Presentation graphics objects may be associated with a presentation page by being placed on or within the page, or by other means. For example, presentation graphics applications often provide an opportunity for a user to associate objects such as text or notes with each page of a presentation. These notes, often called speaker notes or simply notes, are typically intended for the presenter rather than the audience. Speaker notes are typically entered in a window or screen region which is separate from the presentation page with which the notes are associated. Speaker notes are, therefore, an example of a presentation graphics object that is associated with a presentation page, but which does not appear on or within the page. Speaker notes may be viewed in a variety of ways. For example, a user may view speaker notes while creating or editing a presentation. Presentation graphics applications often provide the ability to print speaker notes along with the presentation page associated with the notes, for use by a presenter in rehearsing or delivering a presentation.
Modern personal computers, both portable and desktop models, typically support multiple physical display devices. For example, a portable or laptop computer typically includes a permanently attached display, such as an LCD display, often integrated into the laptop cover. Laptop computers further typically include support for an external monitor or projector, which may be used instead of or in addition to the laptop monitor. Furthermore, as DVD drives become more commonly available in laptops, support for television monitors has become more common as well, often provided via an additional physical connector, such as an S-video output. Desktop computer systems typically provide support for a computer monitor, and may also provide support for multiple computer monitors, and may further provide support for a television monitor through an S-video or other output. Hardware support for the plurality of monitors may be provided by a plurality of hardware controllers or adapters, often one adapter per monitor. Alternatively, a single graphics controller may be capable of emulating multiple different controllers and providing multiple outputs at once, providing support for multiple physical display devices with a single hardware graphics controller.
Multiple physical display devices may be treated as a single logical display, or multiple logical displays. When treated as a single logical display, the multiple display devices each display the same content. When treated as multiple logical displays, however, different content may be displayed on each physical device. Operating systems such as MICROSOFT WINDOWS 98 and subsequent versions provide support for multiple monitors, allowing a user to define two logical displays, and various characteristics of each display, such as the resolution and relative logical locations of the two displays.
In order to advantageously use multiple logical displays, a method is employed to determine the content shown on each logical display. Methods are known in the art that involve mapping objects to an intermediate attribute, and then determining the content of each display based upon the intermediate attribute. Specifically, methods involving intermediate attributes such as screen or window, screen or window region, color, page, etc., are known in the art. For instance, a method using a window intermediate attribute displays one set of windows on one logical display, and another set of windows on a second logical display. On each logical display, all objects within displayed windows are displayed, no objects are displayed from non-displayed windows. Also for instance, a method using color as an intermediate attribute displays objects of one set of colors on one logical display, and objects of another set of colors on a second logical display. In this manner, all objects of the same color are shown on the same set of logical displays. Methods involving page or screen region operate in a similar fashion: one set of pages or screen regions is displayed on one logical display, and another set of pages or screen regions are displayed on another logical display. All objects within the same page or screen region are displayed on the same set of logical displays. For example, methods of determining the content of multiple logical displays involving a screen or window intermediate attribute are illustrated in the following U.S. patents: “ELECTRONIC PRESENTATION SYSTEM USING PORTABLE STORAGE MEDIA,” by McCullough, U.S. Pat. No. 5,539,658, issued Jul. 23, 1996; “PRESENTATION SUPPORTING METHOD AND APPARATUS THEREFORE,” by Tanikoshi et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,018, issued May 27, 1997; “REMOTE COLLABORATION SYSTEM PERFORMED BY A HOST COMPUTER RUNNING AN APPLICATION PROGRAM AND REMOTE COMPUTERS RUNNING A PROGRAM DISTINCT FROM THE APPLICATION PROGRAM,” by Pommier et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,944,785, issued Aug. 31, 1999; “COOPERATIVE WORK SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR MANAGING A WINDOW DISPLAY,” by Katsurabayashi, U.S. Pat. No. 6,308,199, issued Oct. 23, 2001. Methods of determining the content of multiple logical displays involving a page intermediate attribute are illustrated in the following United States Patents: “COMPUTER CONFERENCING SYSTEM FOR SELECTIVELY LINKING AND UNLINKING PRIVATE PAGE WITH PUBLIC PAGE BY SELECTIVELY ACTIVATING LINKED MODE AND NON-LINKED MODE FOR EACH PARTICIPANT,” by McArdle et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,702, issued Dec. 3, 1996; “METHOD OF APPARATUS FOR DISPLAYING A SPLIT BAR WINDOW,” by Porter, U.S. Pat. No. 5,721,852, issued Feb. 24, 1998; and “APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR LINKING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE PAGES IN A CONFERENCING SYSTEM,” by McArdle et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,859,974, issued Jan. 12, 1999. Methods of determining the content of multiple logical displays involving a screen or window region intermediate attribute are illustrated in the following U.S. patent: “PRIVATE REGIONS WITHIN A SHARED WORKSPACE,” by Smith et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,107,443, issued Apr. 21, 1992.
A further example of mapping objects to an intermediate attribute, and then determining the content of each display based upon the intermediate attribute, involves displaying a presentation to an audience while displaying additional information, shown in different windows or different window regions, to the presenter. For example, a presentation graphics application sold under the name MICROSOFT POWERPOINT provides support for multiple monitors when used in an operating system environment also having multiple monitor support. The MICROSOFT POWERPOINT presentation graphics application allows a user to establish an audience screen where the presentation is displayed, and a presenter screen where the presentation plus additional information, such as speaker notes and other information, are displayed. All of the additional information displayed on the presenter display is mapped to screen or window regions outside of the presentation pages. Thus, the screen or window region representing the presentation page is shown on both displays, while additional information outside of this region is displayed only on the presenter display.
For the foregoing reasons, therefore, there is a need in the art for a method of determining the content presented on a plurality of logical displays, without mapping presentation objects to an intermediate attribute.